Census officials crack whip on enumerators sending dummies in the field

“Issuing such cards is an effort is to make sure properly trained enumerators conduct the survey and we get a correct picture from the survey. Besides,we pay the enumerators Rs 9,000 for the exercise where they visit only 300 to 400 households anyway,” Bharadwaj said.

In Gujarat alone,1.1 lakh enumerators are conducting the survey.

The census authorities have been also able to rope in telecom companies and a popular Hindi serial to help spread awareness about the survey’s second phase,supplementing the Rs 30 lakh budget the state directorate already has for the purpose. Bulk SMSes asking people to participate would be sent on both pre-paid and postpaid phones through the exercise.

The cast of comedy serial Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chasma are also preparing a small movie clip on the census,and this would be shown in about 846 mutiplexes and single-screen theatres before the beginning of each movie,according to Bharadwaj. Both telecom companies and the serials’ cast are doing the exercises for free,he added.

Deputy director Vrushali Warade also said the authorities have appointed a nodal officer to especially train enumerators on how to fill up section 9 of the form,which deals with disability. The section on disability,introduced in 2001,has been extended to include “multiple disability” and “mental illness” this year,partly to check World Health Organization’s report that had projected a much higher population of disabled Indians than the census figures.